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Thursday Night Football: New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills fantasy football preview

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Fantasy football week 2 starts tonight with a Thursday Night Football matchup from the AFC East. Should anyone from tonight’s game by in your lineup?

Last year when the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills met on Thursday Night Football, the Bills defeated the Jets 22-17. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday Night Football will become a staple for fantasy football owners everywhere for the rest of the season, and hopefully this year the games are more competitive than has been the pattern. Typically, Thursday Night Football has been a fantasy wasteland with low-scoring or blowout games. However, there are some usable fantasy players on almost ever team, so understanding who to start and who to sit with the Thursday factor included is necessary for almost every fantasy owner.

Tonight’s the first of the regular Thursday Night Football games which means a return of the “Color Rush” uniforms as pictured above from last year’s Thursday night game. Last year, the two teems met on Thursday night in Week 10 with the Bills claiming a 22-17 win in New York City. Tonight’s game will be in Buffalo where both teams will try and bounce back from rough defeats in Week 1. 

The Jets lost in brutal fashion to the Bengals (late), and the Bills’ offense couldn’t get into gear against the Ravens in Baltimore. Both teams are 0-1 and already trailing the Patriots who got a surprising win in Arizona to already take over the AFC East in some people’s perspective. Some NFL reporters are even using “must-win” in tonight’s game for the two playoff hopeful teams.

No matter how week 1 went in your fantasy football league, week 2 is never a must-win. With good team management in-season, your team can bounce back from week 1 even if you were banking on Keenan Allen (ouch).

To see how you should approach tonight’s game, check out my fantasy football look at each position in tonight’s contest staring under center.

Sep 11, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) attempts to throw the ball in front of Baltimore Ravens linebacker CJ Mosley (57) during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterbacks

Neither quarterback in tonight’s Thursday Night Football game had great week 1 performances. Ryan Fitzpatrick was the 17th highest-scoring quarterback in standard scoring while Tyrod Taylor was the second-worst Week 1 fantasy QB only outpacing Case Keenum.

Fitzpatrick is startable in dual-QB formats, but he isn’t a great option since the Bills defense looked pretty good against Joe Flacco and the Ravens. I have him at no. 26 in my QB rankings meaning you can probably find a better play. In Week 1, he did throw for two touchdowns which buoyed his scored despite only throwing for 189 yards. Since I think the Jets play this game from ahead, he will likely throw the ball less as the Jets rely on Matt Forte.

On the other side of the field, Taylor is tricky to evaluate due to the lack of playmakers around him in the Bills’ offense. Both Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods are banged up (more on them later)l having him lacking in options to get the ball to. Taylor’s running ability could play a big part in tonight’s game since he’ll have to be creative as plays break down. I actually have him ranked just one spot below Fitzpatrick making neither one good plays for tonight.

Sep 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) runs the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Running backs

While the QB’s aren’t great options, both the Jets and he Bills have nice running backs which can be used for fantasy football tonight. In week 1, LeSean McCoy ended up the no. 15 running back in standard scoring leagues while Matt Forte was even better at no. 12. McCoy found the end zone for the Bills’ only offensive score, and Forte totaled over 150 yards rushing and receiving.

Both backs are good starts tonight in most formats, but I have Forte a little bit higher. I have him as the no. 6 back this week since he was so involved in the Jets’ week 1 attack. Forte had 27 touches in the team’s loss picking up 96 yards on 22 carries and also leading the team in receiving with 59 yards on five catches. Since I think the Jets will be head for much of tonight’s contest, look for Forte to again be the workhorse back in the New York attack.

For the Bills offense, McCoy is their most dynamic weapon who is still healthy. He finished Week 1 with 58 yards and a second-quarter touchdown while catching all four passes thrown his way for 20 more yards. Buffalo will have to get the ball into his hands early and often tonight, so I see him as a very strong RB2 at no. 12 in my rankings.

Neither team mixed in other running backs to the point where they need to be fantasy factors tonight. Reggie Bush made a cameo appearance in Week 1 for the Bills but totaled -4 yards on his three carries. Bilal Powell did much better as the Jets’ change-of-pace back running for 41 yards on his four carries and adding two catches for seven yards. If you’re desperate, he could be a deep-league flex play, but there are probably better ways to go in most formats.

Jan 3, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins (14) gets tackled by New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) after a catch during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receivers

The big difference between these two AFC East teams from a fantasy perspective is the options they have at receiver. The Bills are incredibly thin at the position while the Jets have a few nice options that should be started in almost every format.

New York’s wide receivers spread the work around pretty evenly in Week 1. Brandon Marshall and Quincy Enunwa led the team with eight targets while Eric Decker was just one target behind them with seven. Enunwa caught the most passes on the team hauling in seven for 54 yards and a touchdown while working mostly out of the slot. Eric Decker had a typical game for him which almost always seems to include a trip to the end zone. Decker is a startable WR3 and Enunwa is an interesting sleeper to watch as the season goes on (although I wouldn’t start him this week).

The most disappointing of the Jets receivers week 1 was Brandon Marshall who only managed three catches for 32 yards and was held out of the end zone. He had some tough drops and will look to bounce back tonight against the Bills. Last year, Marshall caught a touchdown in both games against the Bills totaling 149 yards on 11 catches. I expect him to bounce back with a solid game tonight and have him as a fringe WR1 or a high-end WR2.

I don’t expect the same thing for the Bills big-name receiver, though, since Sammy Watkins is trying to play through a foot injury. It looks like Watkins will try to play through the pain tonight, but Darrelle Revis isn’t a great matchup especially since he’ll be angry after getting lit up last week. Watkins should be on your bench until he shows he’s healthy enough to produce up to his potential.

The problem the Bills have is that they don’t have many other quality receiver options. Robert Woods caught four of his five passes in Week 1 but only totaled 20 yards. Marquise Goodwin has big-play potential as the team’s third WR, but he wasn’t even targeted in Week 1.  I’d stay away from all the Bills receivers tonight since their offense didn’t look good on Sunday and they’ve only had three days before today’s game.

Sep 11, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Charles Clay (85) carries the ball as Baltimore Ravens safety Lardarius Webb (21) attempts to tackle during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Tight Ends

Both the Bills and the Jets have produced useful tight end numbers in the past, but neither of their top options are in most leagues’ starting lineups. The Jets start veteran Kellen Davis, but Davis wasn’t targeted in Week 1 and doesn’t usually play a role in their passing game.

If you’re looking for a streaming tight end, however, there is one option to keep an eye on in tonight’s game. Charles Clay could be the answer to some of the Bills’ receiver questions as long as he’s healthy and ready to contribute tonight.

Last season, Clay averaged around 40 yards a game in his 13 contests with Buffalo. He found the end zone three times and even posted one game over 100 yards receiving. Against the Jets, Clay had five catches for 52 yards in their Thursday Night Football game last year. With Sammy Watkins ailing, more passes should go Clay’s way tonight making him an intriguing TE2 or even a streaming option if you are desperate at the position.

The downside with Clay is that he is dealing with an injury of his own. He was limited in practice this week and is officially questionable for tonight. Clay could be a sleeper to keep an eye on in a Buffalo offense desperate for playmakers, but he’ll be a high-risk play tonight except in two-TE leagues.

Sep 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets kicker Nick Folk (2) kicks a extra point against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Bengals defeated the Jets 23-22. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

Kickers

We’re kind of into kickers here at FanSided. Well, at least for our FootSided league. One of the fun elements to having a all-kickers league is that virtually every kicker is owned and matters.

Tonight, all eyes in the kicker league will be on Matt Blake who just rechristened his team “May the Folk be with you.” Last week, Blake lost despite nine points from Justin Tucker thanks to a zero turned in by Dan Carpenter. Tonight, Blake has to decide whether to stick with Carpenter or make the move and go with Folk as a starter alongside Tucker in Week 2.

In case you’re looking for a kicker, I’d suggest going with Folk over Carpenter since Folk had a solid start to the season aside from a missed extra point. The weather tonight in Buffalo is shaping up to be very kickable, so he’s a solid plug-and-play if you’ll be watching the game tonight and want someone to cheer for.

Sep 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) reacts in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium. The Bengals defeated the Jets 23-22. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

Team Defense

The one thing that Thursday Night Football has been useful for the last few years is fantasy football team defenses.  Since offense can be hard to come by and a little sloppy at times, it can be a nice time to steal a good team defense.

Both team defenses are owned in a lot of leagues already, but there is some waiver wire potential as well. Due to the Bills lack of offense, I actually like the Jets D quite a bit tonight even though they’re on the road. Buffalo’s offensive line didn’t look good week 1, and the Jets front line should be very productive as they harass Tyrod Taylor tonight.

The Bills defense is an “ok” option to start. Although with their offense struggling to hold the ball for very long, I don’t think there’s a ton of upside. Fitzpatrick threw a pick in Week 1, so that is always a possibility especially as he returns to Buffalo where the fans should enjoy giving him a hard time after his playing time up-state.

Overall, I’d start the Jets in almost any format while the Bills seem like a little more of a fringe or deep-league play. If you can get a different streaming option like the Eagles or Packers I think they’ll end up being better options than Buffalo this week.

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